that it is now in my power to poffefs you! Can Heaven have been fo propitious to our love as to bestow upon me what will procure your father's confent to our marriage, and make us happy! This idea infufes joy into their fouls. They view the gold with eagerness almost diftruftful of their own eyes; fometimes they quit the fhining object, and look on each other with tenderness and tranfport. Their firft furprize being abated, they count the fum; it amounts to twelve thousand li vres. They are enchanted with their immense treasure.-Ah, Lucetta, cries Perrin, your father can no longer oppose my happiness.-Lucetta cannot find words to answer him; but her eyes are animated and eloquent; fhe preffes her lovers hand with rapture. Perrin is now certain that his blifs will foon be ratified: He embraces his miftress with ardour and exftacy: He is abforbed in the idea of his approaching felicity.-Amiable Lucetta, cries he, how dear is this fortune to me; for I fhall fhare it with you!

They tie up their treasure, and proceed towards Lucetta's father's; for they were determined immediately to fhew it to the old man. They were now near his houfe, when on a fudden Perrin ftopped. By this gold, fays he, we expect to be happy;

R

happy; but is it ours? It undoubtedly belongs to a traveller: The fair of Vitre is juft ended. Some merchant has probably loft it in his return home; at this very moment, whilft we are a giving up ourselves to joy, he, perhaps, is a prey to despair. Your reflection is terrible, anfwered Lucetta; The unhappy man without doubt, is in the utmost distress; can we enjoy what belongs to him? You make me tremble.We were carrying this money to your father; through its influence, he would unquestionably have consented to make us happy: But could we have been happy in ufurping the property of another? Let us go to the reator of our parish; he has always fhewn me great humanity; he recommended me to the master whom I ferve; I fhould take no material ftep without confulting him.

The rector was at home. Perrin gave him the bag which he had found. He owned that he at firft looked upon it as a gift from Heaven. He acquainted him with his love of Lucetta, and with the obftacle which his poverty had proved to their union. The good man was all attention to the ftory; he gave them looks of paternal affection; their behaviour awoke the fenfibility of this foul; he faw the ardour of a mutual passion glisten in their eyes; he admired their paffion; but he more

admired

vours.

admired their probity. He applauded their ge nerous conduct.-Perrin, faid he, cherish thefe fentiments as long as you live. The conscioufnefs of them will make you happy, and they will draw down from providence a bleffing on your endea We shall find the owner of this money; he will recompence your integrity; to his reward I will add a part of the money I have faved; Lucetta fhall be yours; I will take upon me to gain her father's confent; you are worthy of each other. If the money which you have depofited with me is not claimed, it belongs to the poor; you are poor; in restoring it to you I fhall think that I at in obedience to Providence, who by your finding it, and lodging it with me, has already marked you out as an object of his favour.

The two lovers retired, fatisfied with having done their duty, and enlivened with the hope of being yet united. The bag was proclaimed in the rector's parish; advertisements of it were pofted up at Vitre, and all the neighbouring villages, It was claimed by many avaricious and selfish perfons; but none of them gave an accurate account of the fum, the fpecie, and the bag which contain ed it.

In the mean time the rector did not forget that he had promised to espouse Perrin's intereft. He

took a little farm for him; he bought him cattle, and implements of husbandry, and, two months after, he married him to Lucetta. The hearts of the fortunate couple, who had now arrived at the fummit of their wishes, daily overflowed with gratitude to heaven, and to the rector. Perrin was induftrious; Lucetta was attentive to her domeftic affairs. They paid their landlord with the most rigid punctuality; they lived moderately on their profits and were happy.

Two years expired, and the money was not reclaimed by the owner. The rector thought it superfluous to wait any longer; he took it to the virtuous pair whom he had united. My children, faid he, enjoy the bounty of Providence without abufing it: Thefe twelve thousand livres are dead with me; employ them to your honeft advantage. If you fhould difcover the lawful owner of them, you ought undoubtedly to reftore them to him: Dispose of them in fuch a way that, though you change their fubftance you may retain their value. Perrin followed his advice; he refolved to purchafe the farm which he rented. It was to be fold; it was estimated at morethan twelve thoufand livres: But for ready money Perrin hoped to buy it for that fum. The gold which he found he only looked upon as a depofit; it could not,

he

he thought, be better fecured: and the rightful poffeffor if he fhould ever meet with him, could not be a lofer.

The rector approved the project, and the purchafe was foon made. As Perrin was now proprietor of the land which he had farmed, he beftowed more pains in the cultivation of it. His fields kept in better order, and more improved, yielded a larger produce; he lived in that ease and abundance which he had been ambitious to maintain for Lucetta. Two children fucceffively bleffed their union; they rejoiced to fee themfelves renewed in those tender pledges of their love. Perrin, in returning from the field, was ufually met by his wife, who prefented his children to him; he embraced them with transport and then clasped Lucetta in his arms. The children were eagerly officious about their father; one wiped the sweat from his face; the other attempted to cafe him of the fpade. He fmiled at their feeble efforts; he careffed them again, and thanked Heaven for having given him an affectionate wife and children who refembled him.

Some years after the old rector died. Perrin and Lucetta lamented his death; their minds dwelt afresh on what they owed to his humanity; the reflection made them contemplate their own fitu